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Updated Alternate Management Systems for Ballast Water Treatment

BWTS accepted by USCG for use in US waters as AMS The U.S. Coast Guard has updated the list of the Ballast Water Treatment Systems (BWTS) accepted for use in US water as Alternate Management Systems (AMS)AMS acceptance by the Coast Guard is a temporary designation given to a ballast water treatment system approved by a foreign administration. Vessel operators may use an AMS to manage their ballast water discharges in lieu of ballast water exchange, while the treatment system undergoes approval testing to Coast Guard standards.An AMS may be used to meet the Coast Guard ballast water treatment requirements for up to five years after the ship's ballast water discharge standard compliance date specified in the final rule. This five-year timeframe allows for the completion of required land-based and shipboard testing.The ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) listed in the table below have been accepted for use in U.S. waters as Alternate Management Systems (AMS). Use of a BWTS as an AMS is subject to the general and specific conditions and requirements listed in the AMS acceptance letter issued to the system's manufacturerManufacturerModelNameModel Number(s)DateAcceptedAlfa Laval Tumba ABPureBallastModels 250 to 250015 April 2013Alfa Laval Tumba ABPureBallastModels 2.0 and 2.0Ex15 April 2013Ecochlor ...

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The risk of marine bio invasion caused by global shipping

Researchers calculate the global highways of invasive marine species Globalisation, with its ever increasing demand for cargo transport, has inadvertently opened the flood gates for a new, silent invasion. New research has mapped the most detailed forecast to date for importing potentially harmful invasive species with the ballast water of cargo ships.Scientists from the Universities of Bristol, UK, and Oldenburg, Germany, have examined ship traffic data and biological records to assess the risk of future invasions. Their research is published in the latest issue of Ecology Letters.Animals and plants can hitch a ride on cargo ships, hiding as stowaways in the ballast tanks or clinging to the ship's hull. Upon arrival in a new port, alien species can then wreak havoc in formerly pristine waters. These so-called invasive species can drive native species to extinction, modify whole ecosystems and impact human economy.Some regions, such as the San Francisco Bay or Chesapeake Bay, have even reported several new exotic species per year. The knock-on effects to fishermen, farmers, tourism and industry create billions of US dollars in damage every year. Conservationists and ship engineers are now trying to prevent the next big invasion. But without knowing when and where it may ...

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USCG accepts ballast water treatment systems as Alternate Management Systems

A new era of aquatic invasive species prevention and control The U.S. Coast Guard has announced the acceptance of nine ballast water treatment systems as Alternate Management Systems (AMS) in compliance with the service's March 2012 final rule for Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S. waters. AMS acceptance by the Coast Guard is a temporary designation given to a ballast water treatment system approved by a foreign administration. Vessel operators may use an AMS to manage their ballast water discharges in lieu of ballast water exchange, while the treatment system undergoes approval testing to Coast Guard standards.An AMS may be used to meet the Coast Guard ballast water treatment requirements for up to five years after the ship's ballast water discharge standard compliance date specified in the final rule. This five-year timeframe allows for the completion of required land-based and shipboard testing."With these AMS acceptances, we move into a new era of aquatic invasive species prevention and control," said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Joseph A. Servidio, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy. "Compared with the existing requirement for mid-ocean ballast water exchange, these technological solutions reduce the ballast water exchange safety concerns for mariners and provide ...

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EPA finalizes Vessel General Permit, protects water quality and reduces invasive species risk

Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System VGP On March 30, 2005, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (in Northwest Environmental Advocates et al. v. EPA) ruled that the EPA regulation excluding discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel from NPDES permitting exceeded the Agency's authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA). On July 23, 2008, the Ninth Circuit upheld the decision. In response to this Court order, EPA developed the Vessel General Permit to regulate discharges from vessels. EPA signed the VGP on December 18, 2008, with an effective date of February 6, 2009. The VGP currently being finalized will replace the 2008 VGP when it expires on December 19, 2013.Summary of the Final 2013 VGP The 2013 final VGP will continue to regulate 26 specific discharge categories that were contained in the 2008 VGP, and would provide coverage for fish hold effluent in the event that a permitting moratorium currently in effect expires in December 2014. For the first time, the final VGP contains numeric ballast water discharge limits for most vessels. The permit generally aligns with requirements contained within the 2012 U.S. Coast Guard ballast water rulemaking. Additionally, the VGP contains requirements ...

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